FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Adam Gase spent most of his nearly 15-minute news conference batting down reports and rumors, while trying to set the record straight.

The New York Jets coach has been the focus of lots of conversation - most of it not good - on sports talk radio, television and social media since the team fired general manager Mike Maccagnan last Wednesday. The widespread belief is that Gase had something to do with how everything went down, that he "backstabbed" Maccagnan and forced team chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson to make a change.

"That would be false," Gase insisted Thursday during his first news conference since Maccagnan was fired. "That's just not true. Christopher made the decision."